Tire-tightener.



B. SMITH.

1* 'IIGHTENER. APPLICATION WED JUNE 18, 1909.

Patented Nov. 22, 1910.

' INVENTORY I WWW 13mm M nonnnr BENJAMIN sivrrrr-i, on Easter, son'rn CAROLINA.

TIRE-TIGHTENER.

WMLSJAL Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 22, 1910.

Application filed June 18, 1909. Scrialflfi'o.502,914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT BENJAMIN Siurri-i, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Easley, in the county of Pickens and State of South Carolina, haveinvented certain new and useful Improve ments in Tire-Tighteners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices carried by the wheel of a vehicle for expandingthe itellies and thereby tightening the tire, and it consists, essentially, in constructingthe folly in segments, and having the ends secured in casings and to the tire by means of bolts, the tire and easing being provided. with longitudinal slots to" admit of movement of the bolts when expanding the follies. To expand'the. felly, I provide the spokes with sockets connected with the fellies by threaded iastenings revolubly mounted on the telly and having shoulders to receive a wrench to turn them. I also provide clamps for engaging said shoulders to prevent the threaded fastenings from turning when the telly has been expanded.

My invention will be described in detail hereinafter, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a View oi. a wheel showing my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2, a

iragmental sectional view of thewheel-rim showing the means for connecting the ends of the follies to the tire; and Fi 3, a fragmental view of the wheel-rim slowing the preferred means for securing the spokes thereto.

In the drawings-similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout all of the views.

The telly of the wheel A made according to my invention is formed of two or more segments 1, loosely mounted at their ends in casings 2,'having a central partition 3 to engage the ends of thefelly and limit their movements in the casings. The cas-. ings 2 and tire B are provided with longitudinal slots 4: and 5, respectively, and 6 indicates bolts secured in the ends of the telly segments and engaging slots 4: and 5. It will be apparent that by this construction the telly segments are capable of movementindependently of the tire B when the nuts on bolts 6 are loosened to release them from engagement withthe casings 2. The spokes C are secured to hub D in the usual manner, but have'their outer ends secured in sockets 7-. In the form shown in Figs. 3

and 4 the end of each socket 7 is reduced and externally threaded, as shown at 8.

9 indicates a plate provided. with a tubular'socket 10, and 11 is' an internally-threaded sleeve revolubly mounted in tubular socket l0 and provided with a shoulder l2 having a plurality of oppositely disposed facets to receive a wrench to turn the sleeve in expanding the telly to tighten the tire on the wheel.

13 indicates a clamping-plate provided with a hole 14 in' one 'end to engage shoulder 12 and having its other end secured to a bolt 15, secured in telly segment 1 and through plate 9 and held in place by means of a nut secured on the bolt. The clampingplate 13 prevents the sleeveirom accidental turning, but when it is desired to tighten the tire the nut is removed from bolt 15 and the plate 13 lifted from engagement with the shoulder 12 and bolt 15, while the sleeve is rotated.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim is- A tire-tightener comprising the combination with the spokes of awheel and felly, a plate secured opposite the outer end of each spoke and having a tubular socket extending into the telly, an interiorly' threaded sleeve revolubly mounted in the socket,a shoulder on the inner end of the sleeve larger in diameter than the sleeve to limit the movement of-the sleevev into the socket said shoulder having oppositely disposed facets, and the spokes formed with threaded ends engaging the interior threads in said sleeves, substantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof, I have herefitb set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT BENJAMIN SMITH. Witnessesz' C.-T MARTIN, 'R. F. SMITH. 

